Line of action:

Terrestrial ecosystems

Status:

En ejecución

Location:

Cuenca (Castilla La Mancha) y Soria (Castilla y León)

Geographic scope:

España

Execution date:

2024

Duration:

09/02/2024 - 30/11/2025

Typology:

Sustainable forest management

Total budget:

2,027,687.87 euros

Amount of aid from the Biodiversity Foundation:

1,926,303.45 euros (95%)

Despite being one of the 3 provinces in Spain with the largest forest mass and its capital and the second European municipality with the most forests owned, Cuenca has the lowest ratio of number of companies in the forestry sector/ha in Spain. In 2018, UFIL (Urban Forest Inn Lab, funded by the UIA Initiative) was born with the challenge of testing a forestry training model that sustainably uses the forest and building an entrepreneurial ecosystem that connects the urban and the rural. Four years later, with 16 consolidated start-ups, UFIL is a model of success. A lot has been learned and with UFIL II lessons will be applied to scale up a project that better connects demand (2 new editions of the training program, with a greater impact on biodiversity, gender focus and demographic challenge) and supply (forest revitalization pilot), innovating in the connection between them, valuing ecosystem services, with a forest bioeconomy platform and with greater transferability of the model.

The connection between supply and demand will be promoted by energizing forest owners, promoting ecosystem services and positioning Cuenca as a territory capable of generating employment opportunities around the forest.

After a successful experience testing an urban-rural pilot in Cuenca, the Urban Forest Innovation Lab-UFIL (funded in 2018-2022 by the European initiative Urban Innovative Actions), will consolidate the model. The aim is to strengthen an entrepreneurial and innovative ecosystem in the forest bioeconomy, which acts as a tool for active ecosystem conservation and the fight against the demographic challenge, while replicating this success story in other forest territories. The niches of opportunity identified in UFIL, the entrepreneurship program in forest bioeconomy and an articulation of public and private partners that promoted sustainable use of the forest (16 start-ups created) catapult UFIL II.

Entrepreneurship actions will be consolidated in 88,727.57 Ha through:

• Support for forest owners through facilitators (3 support people) to activate forest management and achieve:
• Updated management tools (with an increase in the managed area by 50,000 ha)
• Identification of mature stands of Pinus nigra and proposal (non-execution) for conservation and experimental management (options of non-intervention, active management and conservation and management compatible with use) putting in place stewardship agreements for their management (for 300 ha already identified + 200 of new identification).
• Creation of 2 mycological preserves.
• Strengthen the Entrepreneurship Programme around the wood value chain (recruitment, training, mentoring, sponsorships, contact with companies, and incubation of entrepreneurs) and tools for the valorisation and payment of ecosystem services (FSC certification in 10,000 ha, CSR, patronage, water and carbon footprint compensation). Both shares are also transferred to Soria. It also contemplates the promotion of the connection between supply and demand (contact with companies and support in technical aspects) and the visibility of the value chain through the development of a platform for the sector (owners, companies, etc.).